NWR: Any ladies out there w/ HPV like me?

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease. I learned that I had it in January 2005, about 5 months after I began dating FH. He was SO wonderful about it and obviously has stuck by me. I am sure that he has it now, also.

Any other ladies have it? I know it's a somewhat personal topic, yet like 90% of people out there have it (and tons who don't even know it) so I figured I'd bring it up and see who else is in the HPV club

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Posted by dangell427

i don`t have it but if you don`t mind me asking the details....they don`t explain much in the commercials for it only that before the age of 26 there is a shot you can get.

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I know a few friends who have told me they had it. What do you do for it? Does it effect you at all? Does it effect you when you have kids?

I don't have it. But I did get the shot. I am not taking any chances

But a good friend of mine has it. She kinda doesnt see anything wrong with it either, which scares me. I hope she listens to her gyno.

It is treatable and you can get rid of it......Fh should be tested and treated as well.

A friend of mine had it but has been HPV free for years now...

Here is what i know of HPV....

Many doctors beleive it is not curable some because it is a virus , think about them as chicken pox almost. Others think it resolves itself.

There are 100's (I think) 'strains' of HPV. Some are the STi and some are just regular warts you would get on like your hand

They are also known as genital warts or veneral warts you can get them on your gentalia (more benign version) or in your cervix (more serious). Sometimes you get them repeatedly the rest of your life and sometimes you have it once the doctor takes care of it and it never comes back again.

It doesn't affect pregnancy, except that you might get the warts due to hormonal reasons.

I think something like over 80% of the sexually active population in the U.S. have come in contact with it. It is the most common STI.

If you get the shot you are only protected from the cervical kind. They have certain HPV #'s associated with them, but you can still develop the 'wart' version.

Hope this helps you all.

The vaccine came out when I was like 28, 2 years past the age at which you can it until But since I've been with FH since I was 24 (6 years) and do not have it (as far as I know! I think I asked my GYN about it and she said she tests for it), I am not worried about getting it.

Sure! I've sort of felt like an advocate of 'spreading the HPV word' ever since I learned that I have it.

Basically, it's THE most common STD that you can get. Condoms DON'T protect against it (something you never heard about in your sex-ed classes that's for sure) b/c it's not passed thru the fluids. Basically, it's passed from a wart on the genitals that people don't even realize they have half the time! They go on their merry way, having sex, and pass it along. The other thing is, men don't even show that symptom most of the time! Women are the ones who get the warts (thats how I learned I had it). You can't even tell who you got it from, or when, b/c like I said, men don't know they have it. The best way I can describe it is like a cold sore... when you have one, you don't kiss your partner, and when you don't have one, you act normal. The HPV is the same way. When FH has an outbreak, we don't have sex obviously, and when he doesn't, all is normal. SO, as much as it's an STD, it's a pretty mild one when all is said and done (in my opinion!).

The vaccine is fairly new, but my doc recommended that I get it to prevent me from the WORST strains of the virus. They really need to start giving it to kids at a young age, and not when they hit their teens.

I hope that helped a little!

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Posted by JBoothIn2008

The vaccine came out when I was like 28, 2 years past the age at which you can it until But since I've been with FH since I was 24 (6 years) and do not have it (as far as I know! I think I asked my GYN about it and she said she tests for it), I am not worried about getting it.

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She tests for it in the pap smear when she swabs your cervix. She can't test for the gential wart version. You usually find out you've been exposed to that if you develop them. Many times people do not develop them even though they've been exposed because their immune systems resolves it.

Honestly, the cervical kind is the one you need to concern yourself with the most because it can lead to cervical cancer which is why they developed the vaccine.

I have no clue if i have any of the strains because I had my last pap last year and nothing was said or asked. My pap has come our normal every year but i realize HPV is not what htey look at as far as a pap - most places are testing it as part of your exam but everyone should ask.

If you think about it - 90% of women have at least one strain then how come no one talks about it? Because no one really is getting the testing done and they are oblivious to it. Doctors don't test you unless you request it (my mistake). Hopefully I don't have any of the serious strains but I understand the possibility of having at least one of the strains.

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Posted by bluekat16

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Posted by JBoothIn2008

The vaccine came out when I was like 28, 2 years past the age at which you can it until But since I've been with FH since I was 24 (6 years) and do not have it (as far as I know! I think I asked my GYN about it and she said she tests for it), I am not worried about getting it.

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She tests for it in the pap smear when she swabs your cervix. She can't test for the gential wart version. You usually find out you've been exposed to that if you develop them. Many times people do not develop them even though they've been exposed because their immune systems resolves it.

Honestly, the cervical kind is the one you need to concern yourself with the most because it can lead to cervical cancer which is why they developed the vaccine.

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If you are with one person and don't plan on being with anyone else do you need to get the shot? if someone has it and they don't have the one that causes cancer can they develop it or do you just have to have that one to begin with?

Every time I get a pap, it comes back abnormal and then I have to go for what they call a 'colposcopy,' which is when my doc looks inside the cervix with this vinegar solution, which highlights all the abnormal cells. IF she finds any abnormal cells (which she almost always does), she then scrapes them off (sorry if this is TMI) and biopsies them. It's not pleasant but it happens about twice a year for me.

In 2006, my doc didn't like that I kept having this, and she had me get ANOTHER procedure done, called a LEEP. I had to go to the hospital for that one, and that is when she literally removed a piece of the cervix. IF you go for a lot of LEEPS thru the years, that COULD affect getting pregnant but she said if I only go for this one I should be more than fine.

The worst part is that with the exception of that one time in January 2005, I don't get visible warts, so I always think I am clear of HPV - until I go to my gyno and have an abnormal pap.

I had the kind that can cause cancer and it went away on its own.

I've had normal paps (Knock on wood) for a long time, and I go every 6 months.

I never had any signs, I only knew because my pap came back abnormal, did the colposcopy,etc.

It is very common, and usually the people that don't know they have it are those that are not keeping up on their doctor's appointments!

If you don't have it and are getting married (and assuming you don't plan on being with anyone else nor does FH), I see no reason for the vaccine. Its an STD (not a magnet kind haha) and if you and FH are only with eachother there is really no way you would suddenly just get it (unless you have it already and don't know and then it wouldn't help regardless)

Stay on top of your doctor's appointments and you'll be fine

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Posted by emomma17

I heard that there are 2 kinds of HPV, one that has the cancerous cells and one that doesn't, but even the one that doesn't they have to monitor you closely so that it doesn't form the cancerous cells????

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HPV causes dysplasia - which means abnormal cell growth on the surface. . .the dysplasia can turn into cancer. HPV doesn't actually have cancerous cells, they call them 'pre-cancerous cells'

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Posted by MrsHtobe

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Posted by emomma17

I heard that there are 2 kinds of HPV, one that has the cancerous cells and one that doesn't, but even the one that doesn't they have to monitor you closely so that it doesn't form the cancerous cells????

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HPV causes dysplasia - which means abnormal cell growth on the surface. . .the dysplasia can turn into cancer. HPV doesn't actually have cancerous cells, they call them 'pre-cancerous cells'

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EXACTLY!!

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Posted by RisiLeigh

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Posted by MrsHtobe

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Posted by emomma17

I heard that there are 2 kinds of HPV, one that has the cancerous cells and one that doesn't, but even the one that doesn't they have to monitor you closely so that it doesn't form the cancerous cells????

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HPV causes dysplasia - which means abnormal cell growth on the surface. . .the dysplasia can turn into cancer. HPV doesn't actually have cancerous cells, they call them 'pre-cancerous cells'

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EXACTLY!!

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Ok see I am very misinformed or not knowledgable about this...thank you!